the words of a feisty redhead

Menu

Category Archives: Recipes

Post navigation

In honor of Canada Day (which is today, to all of you non-Canadian type people), I wanted to share a lovely & yummy roasted veggie recipe infused with the wonderful (and very Canadian) flavor of maple! Enjoy and Happy Canada Day, eh! (We don’t for reals say that…)

xoxo

Becky

Maple Roasted Veggie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

2-1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head)

9 ounces Brussels sprouts, halved (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons vegan butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a baking pan, evenly scatter sweet potatoes, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. In a small pan, place butter, maple syrup, salt, and pepper; heat until butter melts. Pour over vegetables and stir. Cook in the oven until tender, about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through! Easy peasy!

Ok, it’s no real secret. I love chocolate! Who doesn’t though, right? Sometimes, a girl just needs a sugar fix. Makes me feel naughty. Wink. Since going vegan though, it’s hard to find a quick fix chocolate bar treat that I can actually eat! Everything has either too much sugar or some sort of dairy in it. Which just doesn’t fly with me. Also, I have been craving mint chocolate these days, which just makes it harder to find something I can eat and that’s tasty.

Well my lovely bloggy blog readers, I found it! The Holy Grail of mint chocolate bars. O-M-Goodness, did I ever find it.

Theobroma. Best chocolate bar I’ve evah had. Their 60% dark mint leaves is beyond amazing and not only is it vegan (I thought only 70% and higher had no dairy, but I was wrong!) but it’s also natural, organic, gluten free and GMO free! And, it tastes like heaven. It’s not too dark, so it’s not bitter and it’s not just mint flavoring. There are actual for reals mint leaves right in the bar, so it adds a really unique texture as well.

Only down side to this, is that I’ve only found it at my local organic store and it’s more money than your average bar. But it’s so rich, you don’t need alot of it so it lasts a while. May I also suggest using it for a sexy fruit fondu! Yummy. I’m also going to work this chocolate into some delish recipes for the future, so watch for those!

Theobroma’s delightful dark chocolate will astound you with its full force of flavor. Combined with the natural flavor of real mint leaves, this leaves other mint chocolates in the dust. Seriously, it’s amazing. I think it’s the texture that puts it over the top. Nothing beats something that’s pure and natural. The ingredients are simple and easy to pronounce too 😉 Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Mass, Organic Fair Trade Cane Sugar, Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, and Mint. That’s it. Oh! And did I mention that the entire bar is only 400 calories?! Which is by far the least amount of calories I’ve seen in a chocolate bar this good.

So if you are lucky enough to see this while you’re out and about, treat yourself and thank me later 😉

I came across an article on VegNews that I really wanted to share. It’s all about vegan substitutes for cooking and baking! It can sometimes be hard to keep track of how and what to do when it comes to vegan substitutions, so I hope this guide helps 🙂

xoxo

Becky

Vegan Cooking & Baking Substitutions

Ban Butter
What it does: In baking, butter adds flavor and a rich and sometimes a spongy texture. It also helps baked goods rise evenly and adds to both the density and sweetness.How to substitute: Butter is extremely easy to substitute in vegan baking. If baking a recipe that has natural spice or flavor to it, such as spice cookies or gingerbread, olive oil or untoasted sesame oil work well. Unrefined coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature) can add the thickness that butter would, and canola oil works in recipes with liquid sugars (think maple syrup) or solid fats, such as groundnuts or chocolates in cakes. Vegan shortening works well with cookies and piecrusts. And of course, there’s vegan margarine, which creates the buttery taste so many desserts require.

Move Over, Milk
What it does: Milk adds flavor and richness and creates texture in baking.How to substitute: Milk is definitely the easiest to substitute in vegan baking, as many non-dairy milks already exist. Full-fat soymilk will help create the richness of whole milk, while rice milk is lighter. Almond milk sometimes can add a subtle almond taste, as can coconut milk, and both will contribute to the richness of a recipe. For added vanilla oomph, try vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk.

Oust EggsWhat it does: Eggs add moisture and act as a binding agent in baking. They are also a leavening agent, helping food to rise during baking.How to substitute: Milk might be the easiest ingredient to sub, but a close second goes to egg substitutes. Ground flax seeds are a popular substitute that are also nutritious—three tablespoons of water to one tablespoon of ground flax seeds equates to one egg. Mashed banana and applesauce are other healthy alternatives that completely cut out the cholesterol eggs add to baking. Baking powder, baking soda, and vinegar are also aces. And soy yogurt is a creative way to replace eggs and can add a rich texture to your baking, as can puréed black beans.

Hit the Road, HoneyWhat it does: Honey acts as a natural sweetener. It also helps to brown your baked goods, adds color, and retains moisture.How to substitute: Simply reach for other viscous liquids, such as maple syrup or rice syrup. They add the same natural sweetness and contribute to the browning effects. You can try cooking them a little to simmer out some of the water to create a thicker syrup too.

Can It, CreamWhat it does: Cream creates a smooth and sometimes fluffy texture in baked goods. It adds richness, and can make for a satin-like quality.How to substitute: The richness of coconut milk can make a good replacement for cream. For a homemade replacement, blend one-part cashews and one part water until smooth. There are also a variety of non-dairy creams and creamers on the market.

Mmmm, smoothies. One of my most favorite things to experiment with in the kitchen! This recipe is easy-peasy and totally yummy 🙂

xoxo

Becky

Acai Immunity Smoothie

1 14oz bottle of ZICO pineapple coconut water

2.5 oz fresh organic spinach

1/2 fresh mango

1/4 packet of frozen Sambazon Acai (Immunity Smoothie Pack)

Place coconut water, spinach and mango into a blender. Warm the frozen Acai under hot water for 5 seconds then add to the mix and blend together until smooth. For a creamier drink, add half an avocado. Add sweetener to taste, but it really doesn’t need it in my opinion! 🙂

Mmmm, coconut. Creamy, dreamy, delicious coconut. I don’t know about you, but I adore the stuff. Lattes, desserts, piña coladas. All of it. And these bars are no exception. Also, they are crazy easy to make! So next time you have a few minutes and are craving a yummy little treat, whip up a batch of these bad boys.

xoxo

Becky

Dreamy Coconut Bars

Makes 6-8 bars

1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or by hand. Squish into any small container (about 7 x 5) and refrigerate for an hour before cutting. (Or freeze for 15 minutes.) Enjoy!

Just wanted to quickly thank the amazing health website MindBodyGreen for publishing my protein bar recipe! It’s one of my favorite, go-to health websites and I was very happy to see my recipe on it. Yay! I hope you all enjoy it as well.

One of my favorite cookies are of the gingerbread variety. Whether you’re dipping them away into your coffee or tea or just gobbling them up on their own, they are a real treat. This recipe is sure to flatter those sexy little taste buds of yours and impress all of your lovely friends. If you’re into decorating your cookies, may I suggest putting top hats on the men and hair bows on the ladies. That is what makes these cookies so classy, after all 😉

Enjoy!

Peace, love & sarcasm,

Becky

Ladies & gentlemen, it’s vegan ginger ladies & gentlemen!

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup soymilk

2-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Preheat oven to 275°F. Mist two or three baking sheets with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.

Mix the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the molasses and soymilk and mix well. Add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make a very stiff dough (if mixing by hand, knead the dough to thoroughly mix the flour).

On a floured surface, roll a portion of the dough with a flour-dusted rolling pin to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut the dough into shapes with a flour-dusted cookie cutters or a flour-dusted knife.

Carefully transfer the cookies to the baking sheets. Bake until the edges are dry and the centers give just slightly when pressed, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Once cooled, store in a container or put them out and watch your friends and family flock to them!